Hydraulic coupling



June 18,

R. A. CARLSON ETAL HYDRAULIC COUPLING Original Filed March 6, 1940 2 Sheets-$11991; 1

. fiaverzru': frzymozzd'a Carlson and fiezy'arnin 0. Jwerines R. A. CARLSON, ET AL 2,402,369

HYDRAULIC COUPLING June 18, 1945 Original Filed March 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizverzltra' fiqymonaf'a Carlson fiezy'arnz'n QZJwenrzea.

Patented dune 18. 1946 astral) STATES PATENT oyster 2,402,389 HYDRAULIC COUPLING Raymond A. Carlson and Benjamin A. Swennes,

Rockford, Ill., assignors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application March 6, 1940, Serial No.

322,440, now Patent No. 2,304,336, dated December 8, 1942.

Divided and this application November 6, 1942, Serial No. 484,746

2 Claims.

This application constitutes a division of our pending application Serial No. 322,440, filed March 6, 1940, now Patent No 2,304,336, granted December 8, 1942.

The invention relates to hydrodynamic power transmitting devices and has as its general obiect to provide such a power transmitting device which is suitable for heavy duty work.

.The invention deals specifically with the problem of fatigue failure in the impeller and runner of a hydrodynamic power transmitting device,

caused by the weaving action developed by the varyingstresses to which they are subjected in operation. In this connection, the invention aims to provide a power transmitting device havingv maximum accuracy and efflciency in the shaping.

of the vanes, combined with maximum resistance to fatigue failure.

Another object of theinvention is to provide an improved hydrodyna ic power transmitting device which, in addition to'the above characteristics, is of relatively simple and eflicient construction.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation in section of the novel 4 hydrodynamic transmitting device; and

ring gear and flywheel usually found on the crank shaft may be modified considerably.

In accordance with our invention, a hydrodynamic coupling for such use can be simplifiedconsiderably by reversin the positions of the impeller and runner so that the impeller is nearest theengineanddrivingshaftandtherunnerisodiscflisshapedtoconformtothecumtureof nearest the driven shaft and is provided with a shroud which surroimds the impeller. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown herein,wehavedisclosedsuchanarrangement, wherein the numeral ll indicates the drive shaft line or Diesel engine, and the numeral ll indicates a driven shaft which is connected by suit-' able means (not shown) to the load. The'shafts l0 and II are coupled together by means of our improved hydrodynamic coupling designated generally by the reference character It.

The'coupling It comprises an impeller or driving element I7 and a runner or driven element I8 having toroidal walls It and 20 cooperating to 10 define a chamber in which the fluid is circulated back and forth between the impeller and runner.

In the operation of the device, axially opposed stresses are set up between the impeller and runner through the medium of the circulating 5 fluid, which stresses will vary in accordance with the load being transmitted. Under these stresses. there is a tendency for the impeller and runner to weave, producing severestrains near the axis of rotation; Where one of the vaned members is connected directly to its corresponding shaft through a relatively small diameter hub, these strains create a serious problem of fatigue failure in the region near the axis of rotation. It m y be noted at this point that the invention contemplates the mounting of the runner it directly on the driven shaft ll through the medium of a relatively small diameter flanged hub 28.

The invention contemplates that the vanes of the impeller and runner may be or a high degree so of efllciencyand accuracy. For the highest ciliciency, the shape of the vanes is calculated to a very close degree of exactness. and in order to achieve thep -l'ticular shape thus calculated, with the desired high degree of accuracy, we P pose to form the vanes by a casting process. At the same time, we achieve the desired high degree of resistance to fatigue breakdown by supporting the runner member 18 on a disc 22 of relatively tough strain-resisting metal which forms the connection to the hub 23 by means of which the runner is secured to the driven shaft II. We, prefer to employ stamped sheet steel as the materlal of the disc 22. Such materialhas sumcientf flexibility combined with toughness to absorb the I weaving stresses without fatigue failure.

'Ihe hub 28 is weldedas at It and II to the shaft ll,andat 20 and l'ltothediscllthereby forminga strong and fluid t ht connection. .The rimner llisrivetedatli tothediscl l,andthe ttm toroidal wall 20 of the runner. smile in subportingmtecttherewith.

Tothediscuissecuredmsbymeansofbolts.

atoroidalwallmember II or sheetsteeiwhich cdeninternsieombustionenginesuehasagesoforms. together with the disc 32, a shroud surtegrally therewith by means of which it is fixed upon the driving shaft 10. .Between the hearing l2 and the impeller I1 is a pump 3| which serves to maintain sufficient amount of fluid within the coupling I! to maintain the drive therethrough. Thepump 3| comprises a series of radial vanes 32 which cooperate with a fixed collar I3 having inlet and outlet openings 34 and 4 44 is adjustable so that the amount of pressure placed upon the oil in thepassage 41 may be changed as desired.

- bers in hydraulic communication with each other,

respectively, for the passage of the fluid. The

opening 35 is aligned with an annular opening 34 formed in the impeller I! by a conical flange 3'! of the outer shell I9. The opening 34 1s defined by an inwardly depending flange 38 in the collar 33 which serves as a partition between the pump vanes 32 and the inlet chamber 38. The chamber 39 communicates by means of passageways 40 and 4| with a tube 42 which in turn passes into the crank case I3 having the usual oil reservoir 44.

The driven shaft II is piloted at 45 in the driving shaft N by means of a bearing 46. Excess oil in the coupling it forces its way inwardly between the disc 22 and the rearward end of the collar 30, thence through bearings 46 into a centrally located outlet passage 41 in the drive shaft l0. At the right-hand end (Fig. l) of passageway 41 is a spring-loaded ball valve 48 in which is a small aperture 48. The valvemeans for securing one of said members to one of said shafts, and means for securing the other of said members to the other of said shafts, said last named means comprising a disc of stamped relatively tough strain resisting sheet metal which is mounted on said other shaft and on which said other member is mounted, said disc and said other vaned member having conforming toroidal walls with the walls of the former being in supporting contact with the walls of the latter. 2. A hydro-dynamic device for transmitting power from a drive shaft to a driven shaft, said device comprising cast metal vaned members in hydraulic communication with each other, means for securing one of said members to one of said shafts, and means for securing the other of said members to the other of said shafts, said last named means comprising a disc of stamped relatively tough strain resisting sheet steel which is mounted on said other shaft and on which said other member is mounted, said disc comprising a shroud surrounding both of said vaned members and having conforming toroidal walls with the walls of said other vaned member with the walls of the disc being in supporting contact with the walls of said other member.

RAYMOND A. CARLSON. BENJAMIN A. SWENNES. 

